


Implings of New York

by Marsh_Daisy



Series: "What Time is it in Darwin?" [14]
Category: Gorillaz
Genre: F/F, F/M, Fluff, Humor, My OCs have taken over, Not Canon Compliant, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-11
Updated: 2021-01-11
Packaged: 2021-03-15 22:49:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,701
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28696494
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Marsh_Daisy/pseuds/Marsh_Daisy
Summary: Lily joins 2D in Queens ready for a new home, new job, and new school. She has other changes to deal with as well - but some things never change: Implings will be implings, no matter where they are.
Relationships: Murdoc Niccals/Original Female Character(s), Stuart "2D" Pot/Original Female Character(s)
Series: "What Time is it in Darwin?" [14]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2069307
Kudos: 3





	Implings of New York

My boyfriend was easy to spot looming over everyone else at the terminal. He ran to me as soon as I got through the gate. I dropped my bags so he could grab me and kiss me.

“I missed you, Lil."

“I missed you too, Stuart.”

“This is so exciting!” Kimberly squealed, hugging me tightly. “To have all of you snuggled under my roof at once is a dream come true.”

“Murdoc’ll say it’s more like a nightmare,” 2D said as we headed down the concourse.

“Oh, he will, he will. But we won’t pay him any mind.”

Kimberly lives in a mansion. She took us straight upstairs to 2D's room. “Come down whenever you’re ready and I’ll show you the rest of the house.”

The room was decorated in light blue with dark wood furniture. 2D opened the wardrobe with a flourish. It hid a small refrigerator, with several shelves of snacks and cereal packets above it.

“Kimberly did this for me! It’s so I can stay out of Murdoc’s way.”

I peeped into the bathroom. It contained a shower and a huge tub. “We’ve never had a bath together.”

“That’s a nice tub,” he said. “I can fit my legs all the way in.”

“Kimberly said to come down when we were ready, right?”

“Yeah - are you ready now?” He took a step toward the door.

“Nope. I might be ready in a few minutes, though. That depends on you.”

“Oh. Oh!” He giggled and locked the door.

“No laughing,” I warned him. “Not off to a very good start in our new country.”

We did a rush job with the undressing and skipped right to the best part.

We rushed to get dressed after, too.

“D’you think she’ll know what we’ve been up to?” he asked as he buckled his belt.

I slipped my t-shirt back on and tucked it in. “I think she’d be disappointed if we didn’t.”

2D led me through the rest of the upstairs.

“This was Maris’s room. That’s Murdoc’s room, and then here’s Kimberly’s.”

“They have separate rooms?”

“Yeah, but he sleeps in hers. Be glad they’re as far away from us as possible. They’re- loud. Thass all I’m gonna say.”

“Thank you for that.”

We joined Kimberly in the kitchen and she led us through the rest of her home. Noodle joined us as we finished with the backyard.

“You’re welcome to use the hot tub whenever you like," Kimberly said. “The pool will be open in a few weeks, and you can come over and swim as well.”

Pools and hot tubs are all very well, but - dock. I went straight down to check out her boats.

“Never got you out in one of my kayaks,” I said to 2D.

“I dunno, Lil,” he said. “Camping was one thing. I could keep my dignity if a bear ate me in the middle of nowhere. Think of how my reputation will suffer if I drown in front of everyone in New York.”

Kimberly told me where she kept her equipment. Then we stood on the dock for a few minutes.

"This is the East River. On the other side is the Bronx. I'll take you everywhere. I'd love to take a trip with you like I did with 2D last summer."

“This is beautiful. You’re so lucky.”

“A bit luck, a bit education, a bit hard work. Very few things are created from only one element. Every influence plays its part.”

We followed Noodle down a set of stone steps to a sliding door that opened into her living room. She showed me around her cute little apartment and the recording studio.

Kimberly said, “Dinner is arriving any minute, and our guests as well.”

“Guests?” asked 2D as we headed up the kitchen stairs. “Who’s coming?”

“Oh, just family. Maris and Dana. And Russ, of course. And Bab. Shae and the kids. Frankie and Aniyah were a maybe. Arionna's not on break yet.”

“Just family?” I looked at 2D.

“You’ll love them.” 2D said confidently, and grabbed my hand.

It was nice to meet Russ at last; he was gone from the house before 2D built the zoo. Kimberly’s friend Bab was kind and friendly. I grabbed the baby for her as she tried to put together a plate for Devon. After I traded Maurice back for Devon’s dinner, my new friend followed me into the living room.

“Do you like snakes?” he asked as he pulled a rubber coral snake from the pocket of his pink skirt.

“Ooh, that’s a handsome one,” I said. “You have venomous snakes around here?”

He nodded. “Copperheads. They’re scary. They blend right in with the leaves. You don’t even know it’s there until bam! They bite you and you die.”

“We have venomous snakes in England - adders. They hardly ever bite at all. Only when they’re very frightened - and I think if I were just going about my snakey business and I saw someone as big as you or me, I’d get frightened too. What do you think?”

He nodded and took a big bite of his sandwich. “Do you have other scary animals in Egg-land?”

"You won’t believe me, but one of the most dangerous animals in England is the cow.”

He laughed and dropped some crisps on the floor. He bent to pick them up and asked, “Is that a joke?”

“It’s true! Mostly because we’re always trying to make them go where we want them to go and sometimes they don’t want to.”

Devon dashed off to refill his plate and then sat on his grandmother’s lap. I saw Noodle sitting outside with Maris and Dana. I let myself out onto the patio just in time to hear Noodle say, “I like Lily.”

“Who wouldn’t?” I asked, closing the sliding door. “Are we voting me off the island? Debating my worth as a kidnaping victim? Choosing up sides for football?”

“My girlfriend has a big mouth,” said Dana.

“You generally don’t object.” Maris stood and held her hand out. “Maris Wilson. This is my woman, Dana Quinn.”

Dana shook my hand.

“You can join us,” Maris invited, “but now we have to find someone else to talk about.”

I pulled one of the patio chairs closer. “We don’t know many of the same people. Challenging.”

“Limited to band members, yes,” Maris agreed. “I’m an expert at skewering Murdoc and my mother. 2D’s an easy target, and both of you would jump to defend him. Russ is beyond reproach - both as my friend and as my boss. And Noodle’s right here.”

“The only other people I know so far are a baby and a six-year-old.”

“That’s a stretch even for Maris,” said Dana.

“Don’t underestimate me.”

Dana asked if we needed help moving into our new flat.

I shook my head. “All we have is what little we brought with us. I hope he likes the flat. I picked it out online. I took a virtual tour, but that doesn’t tell me if the place stinks of cabbages or the downstairs neighbors like to watch porn all day with the volume turned up.”

I think I won Maris over with that. She choked on her drink and said, “The centaur can be in our club.”

That evening 2D and I had a lengthier reunion. I wondered if we could drown out any sounds from the other end of the house, but I wasn’t optimistic. I’m not a screamer, and 2D’s more of a panter and moaner. Very satisfying to be the cause. We sank deep into the soft mattress and made a tent out of the blankets, giggling and kissing. There were fewer giggles as the kisses increased. Our tent got stuffy after a while so we had to make a little opening by stacking pillows, making a nice fort. Once we caught our breath we lost it again moments later. I curled up around him after, holding him tightly. I was completely worn out; my body convinced it was five hours later. The next thing I knew his alarm was playing an annoying little tune. My first full day in New York began.

******************

Urdek drove Marmaduke, 2D, and me to the new school in his Mustang. The building was trim and snug, smelling of fresh paint. I introduced myself to the contractor and inspector, and followed them throughout.

“You in the business?” inquired Mr. Beneventi.

“Not professionally, no. I couldn’t have done the plumbing here. Not the cement either. But walls, roof, and wiring I can handle pretty well.”

“If you’re looking for a job, I’m always hiring.” He handed me his business card. “Got a lot of young guys - they don’t wanna work weekends once it gets nice out.”

“I’ll take it into consideration. Thank you.”

I felt left out while 2D, Noodle, Kimberly, and even Murdoc put everything together. They did a fantastic job, and when our implings arrived I put any sense of disengagement away. Our wee devils were all that mattered, and they were very pleased with their new building. I liked the fireplace. Ozias and Esau could try their claws at baking in it.

Once the parents boomed off for the day, we picked right back up with our implings. They’re adaptable and inquisitive. We explored the area behind the building, tossed pebbles in the stream, and looked for tadpoles. They played tag and then washed up for lunch. Druvoxin picked them all up at 2:00 and they went off to the zoo, excited to tell Mr. Colm and all the other humans about their new building.

******************

I’d chosen our new home and I hoped I chose well. 

Sean, the property manager, waited for us. He handed me one of the keys, and I unlocked our door.

It was a wide open design. It looked enormous because there was nothing in it yet - room for a living room set and dining room table. The kitchen was separated only by a waist high counter, so it felt like part of the same space. A hallway led to two bedrooms and a fair-sized bath. Smaller tub than at Kimberly's, but we might be able to squish him in.

The bedroom windows overlooked the grey puddled roof of the building next door, and the back showed us the carpark, but the front had a nice view of the street and bustling neighborhood. The store fronts looked welcoming. People walked dogs, chatted, and sat on benches in the sunshine.

2D and I signed the paperwork and Sean departed. We were alone at last.

We walked to the center of our new home, and held each other. So much of our lives simply pass by as one day blends into the next: the alarm becomes the kettle hissing becomes noise from the tv becomes the soft snore of your partner. But every now and then a dividing line cuts one piece of life apart from another. You can see a distinct ‘before’ and ‘after’. We stood on the dividing line now, watching my beloved zoo and our tiny flat fade away. Before us stood new friendships and opportunities. The sounds that blended into each other would still begin and end the same but in between we would hear the babble of the stream, and music from the studio, and the comforting commotion of our busy street.

I stood holding my man, thanking the saints that I walked into a barn yard over two years ago to work for the nutter with the ducks.

We went furniture shopping - an activity I would repeat numerous times over the next two weeks. A bed seemed top priority so we started there. We mulled the size; my bed at the old flat wasn’t very big but we liked to sleep snuggled up against each other so we stayed with the same size. We bought two chests of drawers and two bedside tables.

We grabbed some take-out Thai from a nearby restaurant, and went back to Kimberly's for the night.

******************

Wednesday I bought cleaning supplies and a few basics for the kitchen and bath. We spent our afternoon washing floors and windows.

Thursday morning our bed arrived. Kimberly came to pick me up shortly after the delivery van left.

She hugged me and asked if I wanted to stop for coffee. It was stronger than I was accustomed to. "Next time we'll get you something sweeter, Epona."

As the bed was all we had so far, we started with our sheets, pillows, and comforter. Kimberly always heads for the priciest items and I had to steer her back to the more reasonable options. I picked out a navy blue set. We selected towels for the bathroom and kitchen as well. 

"I'll drop you at the school and you can ride home with Apollo. See you in a bit, Rhiannon."

2D and I stopped at Kimberly and Murdoc's house to grab the few things we brought with us. Murdoc watched us leave. "Remember, if you ever need a place to stay again there's always room for you in your goat barn. Don’t come back here."

2D and I used the laundry room for the first time to wash our new sheets. He had to run down to the corner store to buy something and ask for quarters for change - he didn’t have any and I hadn’t changed my money over yet.

We made the bed together, and sat in it staring at the wall for a couple minutes. Then he said, “I vote our next purchase be a tv.”

******************

Saturday was the first day Murdoc held a meeting to begin serious work on the musical. I suspected this to be a bit of a failure when 2D returned shortly before lunch. I was sitting on the floor familiarizing myself with the bus schedule and planning a short trip. I’ve never ridden one before.

“You’re back quickly. I didn’t expect you until dinner. Got everything written and ready to put on a show tomorrow?”

He kissed me and sat down on the floor next to me. “We all got hungry and left. Have to go back tomorrow. Kimberly called on my way home and said we’re to come to dinner and then we’ll have another meeting after dessert. Oh - you’re making dessert.”

“I can do that.” I stretched out on the floor and put my head in his lap, and he started stroking my hair. “2D?”

“Hmm?”

“Lying here on the floor with you like this has me thinking.”

“What about?”

“Furniture.”

******************

We put together some respectable desserts. Kimberly suggested we go to a bakery, but I reasoned that if our Team Sugar could make delectable treats three grown women should be able to manage it. The fudge was easy - mainly confectioners sugar and peanut butter. The meringue and truffles proved trickier but we did well. Kimberly actually enjoys more of a challenge with recipes; it’s day-to-day cooking she despises. Which was why dinner came from a restaurant as usual; augmented by some rolls and salad Urdek made. She should have him take over as chef.

After dinner Kimberly and I grabbed some sweets and retreated to the living room, safely away from the creative genius burning at the kitchen table. It burned out quickly. We walked back in as Murdoc was arranging the next meeting, growing frustrated as he discovered that the rest of his band had lives.

******************

By the end of Monday I had curtains and draperies for every room, and a few lamps. On Wednesday I went to the daycare, missing my implings. Noodle came along and worked on some music with Cecil, Clemencia, and Eudora. Thursday my living room furniture arrived and we no longer had to sit on the floor. Friday we bought a used car; no more borrowing Urdek’s Mustang. I felt we accomplished a great deal in my first two weeks.

******************

Saturday Murdoc presided over auditions. I sat behind 2D and stayed quiet; saints know he doesn’t need any distractions. Noodle sat on his right, and Murdoc to his left two seats away. Kimberly was next to him with Russ on her other side.

The first performers were ancient, and the next one even older - dead in fact. The following one I remembered vaguely from a “where are they now” article. My happy surprise was seeing Ral-veth.

They nervously explained that Eudora had urged them to audition. They whipped through “Let it Go,” and it sounded wonderful to me. Murdoc agreed, and Ral-veth boomed home, excited to tell their children the exciting news. The last act was the lead singer for “Lactose-Free Porcupine Dreams.” I have “Tacos Under the Turnpike” and “The Windy Rabbit” on my playlist. He nailed his audition and Murdoc wrapped up for the day. Day two blew day one out of the water when Dana sang. She didn’t even know she was auditioning to play her girlfriend. Maris never told her. “I wanted to hear you sing as you, and you were incredible,” she said.

The cast was complete.

******************

2D and I tidied up after school on Friday. I picked up the third wrapper from the floor near the bookcases.

"Where on earth is he hiding all this candy?" I grumbled. "We're going to be invaded by wildlife searching out sweets."

“It's not so bad. Our Mrs. Bunty was like family. 'Specially when Russ was in her."

"I'd rather not, if you don't- a-ha!" I pulled books off the shelf and found two boxes of dairy milk bars stacked behind. I held them up triumphantly. When I went to slide the books back in I noticed something else: a black folder with a white label. I removed it from the shelf.

"Look at this, 2D," I said, sitting on the sofa. 

"Archibald Dra'zith - English 114," he read out loud. "What?"

I opened the folder. The first thing I saw was a letter:

"Archie,

Hope this finds you well. I've enclosed the reading list I mentioned. Not sure whether it's what Hart was looking for, but pass it on when you see him. Cheers, Frank"

Behind was a list of dry titles like, "Exploration of Past Expansion: Movement Before the Monoliths."

"Whassat mean?" 2D asked.

"I've no idea. I majored in animal welfare." I flipped to another sheet, an essay that had been graded B-.

I closed the folder. "I'm dying to hear the story from a certain candy loving impling."

I drew him aside the next morning. "Archibald, I was cleaning up your candy wrappers yesterday and I came upon your secret stash of chocolate."

He looked a bit abashed. "I'm sorry, Miss Lily. I know you said it attracts bugs but I've never seen any."

"I’m also curious about this," I said, handing him the folder.

"I wondered where I left that! Susan Sherman asked for her grade two days ago and I couldn't find it.”

“Who is Susan Sherman?”

“One of the students in my ‘Styles of Academic Prose’ class.”

“Styles of- you’re- taking classes?” I dropped down onto the sofa.

2D came over to see what Archibald and I were talking about.

Archibald shook his head. “No, I’m not taking classes.”

I sat back and looked at 2D.

“Not right now, anyway. I took an adjunct professorship position in the English department. They were short on staff, so I thought, what the heaven - give it a shot.”

“You sat here and let us teach you numbers and letters!" 2D exclaimed.

“I didn’t want to hurt your feelings. My father is friends with Mr. Urdek and he thought it would be wonderful for me to socialize with other young imps. Keep me from getting too full of myself.” He nodded in satisfaction.

"But- but- ‘Binbrook and the Too Big Pitchfork’ is your favorite book!”

“Ah, Binbrook! What a well-drawn, multi-dimensional character. He’s the subject of my thesis: ‘Self-actualization and Internal Struggle: The Battle for the Centralized Ego Amid External Chaos’.”

2D’s mouth hung open. “The what and the what for the what?”

“Binbrook is a story for the ages. Every demon from child to multi-millennial should read and embrace Binbrook’s tale. The themes of bravery in the face of unimaginable adversity are timeless. The very concept: one small demon can make a difference - can alter the course of history - challenges all conventional social theory. In fact, Tolkein based the character of Sam Gamgee on Binbrook. In essence, he teaches us there is no insurmountable quest. There is no pitchfork too big for one who understands his cause to be just and his mission necessary.”

“I thought you were only hiding chocolates,” I said weakly. “What else are you implings up to that we don’t know about?”

He shrugged. “I can speak only for myself. Remember - my superior education doesn’t make me any smarter than anyone else.” He sighed. “I couldn’t even find a safe place to hide my candy.”

******************

Kimberly invited me to a "girl's night" to celebrate Noodle’s return to her environmental job. There was no question of turning it down - these women were my friends now whether I liked it or not. I would prefer them in smaller doses, but I could manage. The six-pack in my hand would help. I sat down with Druvoxin and handed her a beer.

Kimberly wanted to show everyone the band’s old video that started the path leading to this odd collection of women and demons. It was one of the few songs of theirs that I knew before I met 2D. She played a couple more; Noodle as a teenager was almost unbearably cute. She seemed to find it unbearable as well, and gratefully dove into a card game. The game included the absolutely intentional unintentional smacking of hands and Maris nailed me a couple of times. After most of the guests departed, she tried to nail us in other ways.

“This is when we get to dish about our sex lives. And we have two women who can dish about the same man.”

“You know damn well that’s not going to happen,” I said.

She moved on to bugging Noodle about Neil, and they set to convincing her that she’d been too hasty in ending their relationship completely.

To my aggravation, Maris called me out to join in. I resisted, then checked with Noodle if she was okay with me saying anything.

“I’m not an expert on relationships,” I said, but Kimberly interrupted me.

“You faced a difficult challenge in your relationship. The love you have is well cared for.”

“I had to accept something I couldn’t change,” I said. “He had another life before me. There was another person there I didn’t even know. So I learned everything I could about that life and who he was, and decided he was worth the challenges. Even worth the Murdoc.”

“I like you more all the time,” Maris said.

“I didn't hesitate to say yes when Murdoc asked him to come here because I'd already made up my mind I’d accept whatever came. But I know if I’d said please don’t, we’d still be in England.

Noodle surprised me by admitting she had overheard the single heartbreaking conversation I had with 2D when they went on tour. She'd been thinking about how sad 2D sounded, and how sure he was that it was over, but here we were.

“It all comes down to whether you can accept the challenge,” I said. “Whether the risk is worth the reward.”

******************

Saturday the band and cast did a “table read” - familiarizing everyone with the script. An hour after 2D left, Ral-veth boomed up inside our apartment, shaking my new, empty china cabinet. They had Eudora’s little claw clutched in theirs.

“Lily, can you help me out, please?”

“What do you need?”

“Eudora’s not feeling well. I took her temperature and it’s well below where it should be. She wants to stay with you.”

“Well, of course.” I hugged my sweet impling. “How can we warm her up? Bath?”

“Good idea.”

Eudora was very quiet, and stood listlessly as I filled the tub. Ral-veth undressed her and lifted her into the water, which was as hot as I could make it. A bit of the red colour returned to her face. I brought some blankets off our bed and set up a cozy space for her on the couch, near the radiator. I made a cup of boiling tea and she sipped it.

Ral-veth kissed her goodbye and rushed off to the table read. Eudora and I snuggled together and watched Yu-Gi-Oh.

Ral-Veth wasn't gone long, and they were laughing when they arrived. "The fool boy they cast stormed off just before I got there. Seems he wasn't happy about Dana being a lesbian."

"What concern was that of his?"

"Murdoc's calling one of the other fellows who auditioned. We try again tomorrow."

Unfortunately Sunday’s read-through was no better.

Murdoc promoted one of the bit players to lead, and called him to the read. He sang well, but when he hit some stage directions in the script he had no idea what any of it meant. When Murdoc and Russ tried to explain it, he started crying and ran off.

“I thought Murdoc was going to start crying next,” 2D related over dinner. “He’s calling the last one we auditioned. Can't be worse than the first two.”

******************

Monday Druvoxin took over at the daycare so I could accompany 2D to the third attempt at a read-through. The cast sat cross-legged on the stage with their scripts. Maris and I sat on the edge of the stage, legs dangling.

“This is Gary DeMaine,” Murdoc introduced the man to the group in general. “Let’s just get on with it.”

It didn’t take long.

Gary and Dana reached a scene where his character was trying to ask hers out on a date. “I’ve been nothing but a gentleman. Why not give me a chance?” He broke character to laugh. “She’s trying to sell hot dogs here when she oughtta try the sausage right in front of her.” He looked at Dana. “That goes for you in real life, sweetness.” And he ran his hand up Dana’s leg.

“Nope.” Maris stood up.

“Maris-” Dana started.

Maris walked straight over to Gary, who smiled up at her pleasantly.

“Get up,” Maris said tightly.

He rose languidly. “And you’re the other carpet-munch-”

Maris punched him. He reeled, and then put his hand over his mouth. I’m pretty sure I heard the words “crazy bitch” somewhere among the few he was able to get out, but it was difficult to tell.

Dana bent over delicately, straightened, and handed Gary his tooth.

“I’m sorry, baby,” Maris said to Dana. “I interrupted you.”

Gary stalked over to the stage stairs. “Yk fr lyy!” he called out.

“You should probably hurry to a dentist with that tooth,” Kimberly advised. "Be a good boy and we won't press charges against you for laying a hand on our Dana."

The theater doors slammed. Maris sat down next to me again.

Murdoc paced the stage. “I can’t do this. I can't do this again. There’s nothing else for it.” He stopped, and stared at 2D. “I need a new lead here. I need someone with a fair amount of talent. I need someone with a lot of experience.”

2D nodded. “That’d be best.”

“Someone who takes direction well.”

“Mm-hm.”

“I mean someone who will do absolutely anything he’s told. Without thinking.”

“Yeah.”

Maris and I watched this back and forth with growing amusement.

Finally Murdoc groaned, “Are you actually going to make me ask?”

“Ask what, Murdoc?”

“Face-ache - wanna be a Broadway star?”

******************

Saturday brought waffles, as is right and proper.

"Forgot to say - I called Mum and dad to tell them I’m a star now,” he announced.

“They must be so proud.” I handed him the syrup.

“Mum asked what I want for my birthday.” He licked syrup off his finger. “And she said I’m not getting any younger.” He stopped and thought. “Why do people say that? S’not like anyone actually is, right?”

“Just Dorian Gray.”

“That someone you know? How’s that work?”

I shook my head. “It’s a story.”

“Oh. I don’t think I’d want to get younger. I did a lot of dumb things when I was younger. I do less of 'em now.”

“Shows real growth, that does.”

"But I knew what she was getting at. And you know dad just come right out and said it. So- I wanted to ask you something." He reached into the pocket of his bathrobe. Then he looked on the floor. Then he rushed into the bedroom and I heard him rummaging in his drawer. He came back with a look of relief and something clutched in his hand. He knelt in front of me. "I really hope you like it. Cause I kept thinking I should let you pick it but then I wanted to surprise you." He handed me a ring. "Do you like it?”

“Wait- Is ‘do you like it’ the question, then?”

“What?” He shook his head. “No, it’s not. It’s do you wanna get married? But also do you like it cause I can change it. If you don’t.”

A brilliant sapphire sparkled in a nest of silver. It was breathtaking.

“It's titanium so it's strong. And the stone’s set in deep - it won’t fall out. So it’s tough. But also really beautiful.”

He wasn’t looking at the ring when he said that.

“Could you repeat the actual question?”

“D’you wanna get married?”

"So your question is do I want to get married?

"Yeah."

"Not will I marry you?"

"What’s the difference?"

"I might want to get married but still not do it."

"Lil-" 

"If I didn’t tease you might think you were asking the wrong woman."

"Lily Jones, will you marry me? Is that better?"

"That’s two questions now."

"Lil!"

“Does it come with breakfast?”

He nodded solemnly.

“I’d be a fool to turn that down.”

I held out my left hand. He had to push it a little-

“Is that okay?” 

“It’s better,” I said. “Won’t fall off.” I held my hand out so I could admire it. “It’s beautiful.” I leaned forward to kiss him.

“I love you, Lil. My Lily. How many times has that been today?”

“Think I left my notebook under my pillow. We should go check.”

It wasn’t there. We looked very thoroughly. All the pillows and blankets ended up on the floor, along with our clothes.

I rubbed his back for a while afterward. "Big wedding? Or do we run away somewhere all by ourselves?"

"Well, big wedding of course."

"Why ‘of course’?"

"Because I’m famous."

"Oh, that. You’re not concerned about all those women throwing themselves into the Thames out of unbearable grief because they will never be Mrs. 2D as they’ve been wishing since they first saw your pretty face?"

"Yeah, there is that to consider. Huh." He rolled over. "Who’s your maid of honor?"

"Colm, of course. And your best man- Oh, dear."

"Right. If I pick Russ, Murdoc’ll kill me. If I pick Murdoc, Murdoc’ll kill me. I’ll pick Jeffrey. No reason I can’t have a best duck."

"I like that idea. He can fly in with Colm."

******************

Sunday we went over to Kimberly’s.

2D announced our engagement without delay.

“Hot damn, National Velvet!” Maris exclaimed. “Let me see that ring.”

I obliged. She and Dana examined it. “I assume we’ll be your maids of honor?”

“I’ve asked Colm to stand up with me. He’s been my best mate for years.”

“Got a best man in mind?” Russ asked 2D.

He squirmed and said, “Not as such. Not yet. Not really. No.”

"We can have it right here," said Kimberly, as I knew she would.

"I like that idea," 2D agreed.

Murdoc groaned.

If it irritated Murdoc it was probably a good idea.

"We can do that," I said, "Thank you."

"We'll have the ceremony right on the patio-"

"I'd prefer down by the water, if we're to do it here."

"Oh that's fine, that's fine," she responded. “I have a stylist who can come to the house to do make-up."

"That sounds very nice. She can skip me, though. I don't wear any."

"Well, you're so pretty without it," she said smoothly. "But she can do up your hair."

I started laughing. "2D likes it down. She's going to have an easy time of it."

Maris snorted. "Look at this woman go!"

"I do love the way you like to help, Kimberly, but we want to keep it simple."

"Simple is good," she agreed.

"Perfect for him, really," muttered Murdoc.

"At least- I beg you-" Kimberly pleaded, "let me take you dress shopping."

I considered this. "Yes." But I couldn't resist- "But only if Maris comes, too."

That's the second time I made Maris spit out her ginger ale.

******************

“Mr. 2D, we were wondering if you could listen to some of the music we wrote.”

“I’d be happy to, Eudora. Can you play it for me tomorrow?”

“Has to be today.”

He looked confused. “Only it’s dismissal time and I have to get to rehearsal.”

The implings exchanged looks. “We know,” said Cecil. “That’s why we want you to hear it today. We’d like to go with you.”

“My parent said they would take Cecil and Clemencia home afterward," said Eudora. "Please, Mr. 2D?”

He glanced at me. “Well, I guess then.”

We cleaned up quickly and the three implings climbed into the back of our car.

Murdoc was annoyed. “This is not an annex to your bleeding nursery, you pillock.”

“Only they have some music they wanna play,” 2D explained.

This explanation did nothing to move Murdoc. He stood on the stage with arms folded. “I’m not wasting my time listening to skip-rope rhymes!”

Cecil looked appealingly at 2D, but it was Ral-veth who stepped forward. “My daughter and her friends have worked very hard on this music, Murdoc,” they said. “You can give them ten minutes to show you what they’ve done."

Cecil rolled an old upright piano on from off-stage and played some scales. “You need to get this in tune before the show, Mr. 2D,” he said.

Ral-veth had their daughter’s ukulele. Eudora thanked them and perched on the edge of a folding chair. Clemencia adjusted a microphone and counted out a beat.

It was beautiful. The three of them have written and performed together at several of our little parties but I never heard them sound like this. The song was about the changing seasons, which was similar to other pieces they’ve done, but this was deeper and more detailed, likening the falling leaves to losing a loved one piece by piece.

We applauded and just as Murdoc opened his mouth Eudora said, “We have one more we’d like to play.” She joined Clemencia at the microphone and they did an up-tempo duet as good as anything I’d heard on the radio recently. In the middle Cecil played a solo with a hip-hop beat. It was fantastic.

After we clapped for them, Eudora said, “Mr. Murdoc, we have some music you can use, but also- we want to play in your orchestra. Can that be our audition?”

Murdoc pursed his lips as he considered it.

Dana spoke up, “I’d really like to sing that first song, if we can find a place for it.”

Clemencia shook her head. “That one belongs to someone else.”

“I thought you wrote it?” said 2D.

Eudora nodded. “We did. But it sort of belongs to a band. We write for them.”

“What band?” demanded Murdoc. “Someone’s buying these from you?”

“Yes, Mr. Murdoc. The band is called ‘Pyflax’. We’ve been writing for them for a couple months.”

Darren spoke up, “Pyflax? Like Keith Brenner's Pyflax?”

“Yes, that’s them,” said Cecil excitedly. “You know Mr. Brenner?”

“Yeah, man. We did some stuff together before he started this thing.”

“I’ve never heard of them,” said 2D.

Eudora asked to borrow his phone. “Let me find the latest video.”

2D set his phone on the piano. Everyone gathered close so they could see.

“Is this a joke?” asked Murdoc.

“You don’t like it?” Clemencia asked. “Wait - here's another.” She set the phone back up. “This is one we wrote.”

Again we stared at the screen. Murdoc looked bewildered. “What is this? It’s a bleeding cartoon!”

“Well, they’re a virtual band, Mr. Murdoc. Keith Brenner does the music and there’s this artist who makes the drawings - Val Niminski. She makes all the videos and stuff. It’s so neat.”

Cecil added, “The characters have all these back-stories and stuff. Like the keyboard player used to be a bus driver but she took a wrong turn and ended up in the recording studio and never left.”

Eudora laughed. “And the guitar player flew jets in the military but got shot down and one of the other band members saved his life and just took him home.”

“The singer worked at a circus! And the drummer is really a time traveller.”

“It’s hilarious,” Clemencia said, “and it’s all just made up stuff. The band doesn’t actually exist at all.”

There was silence in the theater as Murdoc looked at 2D, who turned to look at Russ, who turned his head slowly to face Murdoc. They stood staring at one another for several seconds.

Murdoc sniffed. “Sounds like a cheap gimmick. Never last.” He narrowed his eyes and stared at the three implings on the stage. “R-r-right. You can be in the orchestra.”

They squealed with excitement, and then trotted down the stairs to sit with me and watch the rehearsal.

Murdoc, Russ, and 2D looked at one another again, and then started the first act.

**********************

Saturday I drove to Brooklyn to meet Mr. Beneventi at a work site. I had offered to work Saturdays; it was what he needed the most, and left me free for the daycare. It was a hands-on interview, as he had me on a roof within five minutes. After introducing me to the rest of the crew, he let them quiz me and watched me tear some shingles off and describe what I would do next.

He told me he would have to be creative with paperwork because I didn’t technically have all the things necessary to hire me right and proper. “I need an extra set of hands that badly. I know these kids don’t like working weekends but sometimes we gotta.”

By the end of the day I had a hardhat with my name on it and a second-hand work-belt. I hadn’t thought to bring mine from home. I’d also fended off the first pass and made it clear no more would be welcome. I worked about six hours and soaked in the nice big tub in our flat when I got home.

******************

Sunday Kimberly drove me into Manhattan to go dress shopping. Maris did come with us, but Dana had to work. She’s a veterinary assistant and rotates weekends.

“There are some exclusive bridal boutiques that require appointments, but I knew you wouldn’t want to go through the fuss. This is a busy time of year, but I think we can manage a walk-in at some of the places I have in mind.”

I turned to look at Maris, sitting behind. “Some of?” I mouthed, and she shrugged.

The first one we stepped into had me regretting agreeing to this. We waited fifteen minutes for a personal gown consultant, or whatever she called herself. She was a very nice person, but I think it was clear to both of us that we were not speaking the same language. We tried a second boutique, and it was more of the same. This time I at least agreed to try on some dresses.

Telling her I would not do a strapless gown got us off to a challenging start.

“You’ll find the majority of what I have for summer is strapless.”

“You’ll find that these breasts are not going to stay put no matter what sort of cage you stick them in.”

I really wished Maris had a ginger ale at that point.

“I need sleeves,” I said. “Short sleeves will do, but I need sleeves.”

“A tank dress would allow you to wear a supportive bra.”

I rolled up the sleeve of my t-shirt. “Been shingling roofs. You’re the expert - are tan lines with my dress a fashion statement?”

She laughed and brought me two short sleeved dresses, and I tried them on willingly. The first one had a tight skirt that felt confining. The other one had layers of fluffy, filmy material that made me feel like I’d walked through a spider web.

“They’re lovely, but these really aren’t me. Thank you so much, though. I don’t want to take any more of your time.”

When we got back to the car Maris snatched the keys out of Kimberly’s hands. “Backseat, mother. I know where Lofty needs to be.”

She took us right back to Queens.

“Outlet stores? My sweet primrose-”

“Ain’t about you, mother,” Maris said. “This is Lilith’s day, right? You wanna buy a wedding gown, ask your creature to marry you.”

Kimberly sighed and followed us in.

Maris took my hand and we walked the hallway, checking out what was available. We started with one of the bigger stores, and she tore through racks of factory seconds with me. Now and then she held up some pink double-breasted monstrosity with shoulder pads or a strapless sequined minidress that looked like a belt. “C’mon, Bob - this one’s perfect!”

But she had a feel for what I was looking for, and I did take a few to the fitting room. Here there was no one to wait on me, and that took the pressure off. I had one that felt close, and we put it on hold.

The next store yielded nothing, but the third brought triumph. When I showed Maris, she whooped. “That’s it. Let’s go.”

I knew as soon as I had it over my head.

It was like a t-shirt - short sleeves and a round neck - and it came down to my knees. The beige material was soft and stretchy. Over top was a layer of a lacy brocade material that moved with the dress. It was comfortable, it was me, and it was twenty-seven dollars.

Kimberly looked a little shell-shocked as we left the store with the dress rolled up in a little shopping bag - not the oversized garment bag she’d been picturing. “What about a veil? Shoes? Some lacy things for underneath?”

We hit the other stores for sandals and sexy knickers, but I had no interest in a veil. “He knows what I look like. No sense disguising myself.”

When they brought me home, Maris helped me carry my bags up. "You left some pressure on me but- Anyone who can look her in the eye and say 'no, I won't' has my respect. The next few weeks are going to be fun." 

******************

I settled into a happy routine of school, roofing, and decorating our flat. It dawned on me that I hadn’t worked on my drawings lately. I had a kitchen table and some spare time now. I dug out my pencils and paper from one of the boxes I had shoved in the spare room closet.

I found the YouTube channel I followed, but skipping through I decided I had come far enough with this series and was ready for something more challenging.

I perused the suggested videos, watching a few minutes and moving on. I scrolled further down and stopped.

Argentia.

I blinked and shook my head.

Still Argentia.

There was no way I couldn’t.

“Hello friends, and welcome back. I’m Argentia and this is 'Infernal Art'.” She smiled broadly. “I hope you enjoyed my last video. If you’ve made your own clay sculpture of Our Exalted Lord the Great Beast of the Bottomless Pit, make sure to drop a picture in the comments.”

She placed a blank canvas on an easel, and picked up a palette smeared with paints.

“Today we’ll be doing a hellscape complete with sinners, using acrylic paint. The colors you need are at the bottom of the screen.”

A crawl listed cardinal, crimson, geranium, carmine, rose, vermillion, wine, garnet, cerise, scarlet, ruby, and black.

Argentia quickly filled in a background medium red. “Now to give this some depth, I’m going to mix in a little black and add shadows here and there. The eternal fires of the bowels of hell produce beautiful contrast between light and dark. You really want to take advantage of the effect.”

She used black to create solid forms of the sinners being tormented. “You don’t need to use any detail - not with all the flames here. That makes it easier, doesn’t it?”

Next she added a demon who resembled her father Gathiod. She used the darkest red for contrast against the blaze, and gave him tremendous black horns. “The pitchfork is the traditional tool for torture, of course, but any sharp pointy thing will do. Every demon has their own preference. As long as it gets the job done, right? If you choose a sword, you can add other details. You might want to spatter some blood here and there. And that’s fine - we all have days we’d like to spatter blood. It’s your painting - you get to decide.”

She displayed her finished work on its easel. “This is my vision, and you have your own. That’s what art is all about, after all.” She smiled. “Please join me next time, when I hope to have a very special guest. I’m inviting Murdoc Niccals, legendary rock star, to discuss the applications of evil across all forms of media. Until then, I’m Argentia and this was ‘Infernal Art.’ Please remember to like and subscribe to my channel.”

I stared at the screen for a few minutes, then clicked subscribe. I felt like spattering some blood.

******************

The following Sunday the pleasure of my company was requested at the Kimberly-Murdoc. 

Urdek sat at the head of the kitchen table with clipboard and pencil, glasses perched on his nose.

“Ah. This is a business luncheon,” I said. “Had I known I’d have worn a suit. If I owned a suit.”

Kimberly placed some pastries on a plate and set it next to Urdek. “We’ll go easy on you, Epona.”

Noodle came upstairs and made coffee, and Maris and Dana joined us a few minutes later. Urdek cleared his throat and started. “This is my first wedding, so please bear with me-”

“Urdek,” Maris said, “not one of us here has ever planned a wedding. You could arrange dancing elephants and slug cupcakes and say it’s tradition. We have no idea.”

Urdek marked something off on his list. “So we’re a go for the slug cupcakes. Next we should choose an entree.”

“Perhaps you should forgo the snark, my peach blossom,” suggested Kimberly.

“Then why did I come here?”

“I honestly don’t care-” I started, but Dana stopped me.

“You need to make a decision on these things.”

“I already made the only decision that matters,” I said.

“You have to remember, this is a special day for more people than just you,” Dana said reasonably. “I know this is more complicated than you wanted. I also know how much you like to please the people you love. It’s 2D’s day, too. It’s Mr. and Mrs. Pot’s day. It’s the implings’ day. The people coming to share in your joy deserve some consideration.”

I stared at her for a moment. “You’re absolutely right.”

Kimberly murmured to Maris, “We get further by not being snarky, you see?”

Maris pointed at Dana. “That’s why I have her.”

“Okay,” I said. “Entrees. What are my choices?”

Urdek was prepared. He had menus from the caterer, a list of wines and liquors from Kimberly’s favorite store, pictures of wedding cakes, and a booklet of flower options.

I looked over all the materials and did my best. It only took fifteen minutes.

“Oh,” I added, “I want waffles, too.”

Urdek wrote it down. “Excellent. Music?”

I shook my head. “That one is on 2D.”

“Right.” He looked back up at me. “Mr. 2D also took care of the honeymoon plans. It’s supposed to be a surprise.”

“Is it Niagara Falls?” I asked, remembering his promise.

Urdek looked pained. “Is there something about the concept of surprises you don’t understand?”

“Last thing,” said Kimberly, “you need someone to officiate. I do know a very nice priest who would be more than happy.”

“Probably ought to let her know he’s from a Satanic coven,” Maris suggested.

“I’m non-denominational." I shrugged. "I’m sure that will be fine.”

Urdek took off his glasses. “I think we’re all set, then,” he said. “I’ll just grab Marmaduke out of the pool.”

Murdoc came in at that point, holding a soggy Marmaduke wrapped in a towel.

“Oh, thank you Mr. Murdoc,” said Urdek, taking his son from Murdoc’s arms. “I want you to know: I’ve expanded my job skills to include wedding planner! Just mentioning, in case you’re interested.”

Kimberly placed her hand over her mouth, but Maris laid her head down on the table and laughed.

******************

Friday night I hosted a birthday party for 2D at our flat. We invited Maris and Dana, Kimberly and Murdoc, Russ, and Noodle. Just family. 

I baked a cake and ordered pizza. He was gifted mostly food and t-shirts. Maris gave him a flat cap she said was a classic taxi-driver’s hat. It looked very cute on him. I gave him a package of shoe-laces in 24 different colours and patterns.

That night he told me it was the first time in years he had a birthday party.

“Murdoc said they have one for you every year?”

“Yeah, they always do. Only he doesn’t usually invite me.”

******************

Monday morning Ozias and Esau brought me the laptop from the computer center.

“Miss Lily, can you help us?” Esau asked.

“That’s what I’m here for.” I sat down at the little table and looked at the screen.

It was an application for participants in -

“Julius Townsend’s Kitchen Insanity - Junior Edition. A cooking competition?”

“I watched old episodes on their website and Esau and I could do this,” Ozias said earnestly. “We could win it even! We have permission from our father but he can’t bring us. He just can’t disguise himself well enough. So we were hoping you could fill this out and be our guardian?”

I looked over the application. “How do you plan to disguise yourselves?”

“Hats,” said Esau promptly. “And long pants and shoes. And- I don’t know about our claws. Maybe they won’t notice?”

“It’s a cooking show, Esau. They’re going to see your claws.” I looked over the schedule and rules. “But there’s no reason you can’t at least try out.”

Wednesday Kimberly drove us downtown to the studio. Ozias had their “signature dish” on his lap: creamy fudge with some sort of crunchy layer underneath.

The judges panel was headed by Julius Townsend himself. He asked how long my boys had been baking.

“Oh, it seems like hundreds of years,” Ozias answered.

“I like the twins thing," one of the judges remarked. "You two are the cutest little devils."

“Our father tells us that all the time, sir,” said Esau.

“It’s a yes here,” said Mr. Townsend and the other judges agreed. Ozias and Esau thanked the panel sweetly.

The day of taping two well-disguised little implings sat in the back of Kimberly’s Mercedes and quizzed each other on cooking terms. The dish to be prepared was drawn at random and could be any category. Kimberly and I entered the studio seating area and our implings headed backstage with hugs and whispers of encouragement.

Six teams competed and each had their own prep area. The children looked nervous and excited. Our implings scanned the audience and waved when they saw us. Then they quickly pulled their claws back behind the counter.

Taping began. Julius Townsend asked each team to introduce themselves and talk about their experience. The huge stock pot which held all the recipe options was raised high. Julius reached in and drew out their category. “Candy!” Ozias and Esau looked at one another, smiling ear to ear. “You young cooks will be making: divinity!”

Kimberly choked.

“Your time starts- now!”

Each team ran to get their recipe, and then to the “magic cupboard” to locate their ingredients. Some of the children looked baffled but Ozias and Esau knew exactly what they needed and were the first ones back at their station.

Esau placed a pot on the stove and measured sugar and corn syrup into it while Ozias expertly separated two eggs. They took turns checking the temperature, chopping the fruit and nuts, and whipping the whites.

The host circulated to talk to each team. He stood behind Ozias and asked, “What do you boys think is the most important step in making this candy?”

“Keeping a close eye on the temperature,” Ozias answered.

“And beating it until it’s floofy enough,” added Esau.

“You work together very well,” Julius said, leaning over Esau’s shoulder a bit. As he did, he knocked Esau’s cap to one side. Kimberly grabbed my hand. We could see a tiny bit of his horn sticking out from his brown curly hair. No one else was likely to see unless they were standing right over him-

Julius Townsend very calmly moved Esau’s hat back into place and patted him on the shoulder, then moved on to the next team.

The candy needed some time to set, so there was a break before the judging. Our wee demons milled around and chatted with the other children, enjoying the drinks and biscuits the crew laid out for them at the back of the studio floor. They reassembled when it was time for judging.

Each team presented their candy to the judge. Each candy was tasted, discussed and critiqued.

Ozias and Esau won.

They threw their little arms around each other and jumped up and down.

Julius ended with his trademark, “Remember boys and girls - keep playing with your food!”

Parents were invited down to the stage. Julius greeted us with a smile and a wink, and said, “Been in show business as long as I have, you see pretty much everything.”

Ozias and Esau headed back to hell with a brand new stand mixer and an autographed copy of Julius Townsend's cookbook.

******************

Sunday I tagged along to rehearsal for the first time since Cecil, Clemencia, and Eudora auditioned. They were excited to see me.

"Mr. Murdoc doesn’t have all the orchestra’s music ready for us,” Clemencia informed me. “We have some recordings of what they’re using. We just like to come and watch.” She gave a little sigh. “Especially watching Mr. 2D.”

“Excuse me?” I said playfully. “I think you’ll find he’s my fiance, Miss Clemencia.”

“Oh, I don’t mean like really him. I mean like stage him.”

I sat with them about a third of the way back. Noodle played keyboard for the song run-throughs, with 2D interrupting now and then to go over sections of the music with Darren, Dana, or Ral-Veth. Then he performed his song.

I’d watched videos and heard him singing as he went about his day, but I had never seen him on stage. I understood now why some women were so insane over musicians, and why so many used to toss their pants on stage. If he wasn’t already mine I would have done anything to meet him, to touch him. He sparked that much electricity.

A voice whispered in my ear from the seat behind me. “Almost enough to turn me straight.” Maris giggled.

Noodle stopped at this point. “You came in two measures early.”

“You wrote this, worm brain,” said Murdoc. “Maybe you could sing it correctly?”

“From ‘took me by surprise’,” said Noodle, and started playing again.

2D scampered over when they were done. “What did you think?”

“I still have my pants on,” I told him. “But just barely.”

Murdoc yelled something to 2D as we ran out of the theater, but we pretended not to hear him.

******************

Marmaduke and Montmorency approached me and asked about learning carpentry. I bought a set of tools for each, and set about teaching them the basics. We were in the play yard working with the drill when a man drove up in an extended cab pick-up. 

"I’m Alan McQuire. Farm in Nesconset. Is there someone named Basilia here?"

"Why would you be asking?"

"My son’s friend worked on this building and says there's a young lady here knows how to run a forge."

I led him into the school and called Basilia over.

He held up a tool with a wooden handle. “It’s an old hand adze,” he said. “It’s an antique. It was my dad’s and his dad’s and I still use it. Wondered if you could take a look at it?”

He passed it over to Basilia. “Hmm. That’s cracked right through. This was well-made, but I’m not sure I can fix it. I can make you a new blade.”

He hesitated. “That's what my farrier offered. It was my grand-dad’s, though. Sort of a sentimental thing.”

“I see.” Basilia turned it over in her claws a few times. “I’ll give it my best shot.”

“Thank you, miss. Right. How much?”

“70.”

He looked taken aback. “Didn’t think it’d be quite that much. Can you come down to 60?”

“Are you pulling my horns here? I’m not going below 65. Or I suppose you can call every local smith and see if anyone can fix a 19th century farm tool.”

He pursed his lips, then nodded.

“I’ll have it for you by day after tomorrow," she said briskly. 

She stayed late that afternoon. 2D went off to rehearsal and Druvoxin came to pick everyone up at two, but Basilia shook her head. “I got a job to do here,” she told her mother. “My reputation is at stake.”

Druvoxin smiled and gathered the rest of the implings. She was back about fifteen minutes later. “Figured I’d keep you company, Lily.”

We chatted while Basilia looked up information on the laptop. She watched a YouTube video, re-playing one section several times. She exclaimed, “a-ha!” and murmured “hmm.” She looked over her tools to make sure she had what she needed. She turned to me. “Do you have a grinder, Miss Lily?”

“I have a couple attachments that will work for you. You’ll need to do it outside.”

She nodded briskly, then took her mother’s claw and off they boomed.

Wednesday the sparks flew as Basilia prepped the surface of the blade. The other implings watched.

“You have to make sure the surface of your metal is clean or your weld will never hold.” They followed her into the school to watch her heat up the metal she would use as a patch on the underside of the adze. “There’s not enough metal to just squish it back together. It’ll crack again as soon as he tries to use it.” They watched as she hammered it out flat. “Put this underneath and it takes the force as he hits the wood.” She carefully cleaned this new piece of metal. “Now for the tricky part.” She used a long set of tongs to hold the end of the adze and placed the new metal over the crack. “I got no way to clamp these so I just have to heat the suckers up and squish 'em together.” She paused. “Technically this is called forge welding. Remember this in case I ever want to hire one of you as an apprentice.”

When she was satisfied she pulled it out and swiftly clamped the end in the vise. She gritted her teeth and hammered the patch down onto the blade, squatting to check every few blows. "Solid." She put the patched tool back in the forge. At last she murmured, “Moment of truth.”

She dunked it in the barrel of oil by the side of the forge. A plume of flame rose and the other implings leaned forward eagerly. She pulled it out and scanned it anxiously. She ran a file along the edge of the metal. It skated smoothly across and Basilia let out a shout. “Perfect! All I have to do is reattach the handle and sharpen it up.” She smiled in deep satisfaction.

Mr **.** McQuire picked it up Thursday morning. He felt the edge, and hefted it to test the new weight. He asked me, “Can I try this on some of the wood you have out there?”

Basilia held her breath as he straddled the 4x4. He brought the adze down with a solid thwack. The blade held. He worked his way down the rest of the post, then examined the blade. He shook Basilia’s claw. “Well done, miss.” He paid her and we watched him drive off.

Basilia turned to 2D. “Can you get me a receipt book and appointment calendar? I might be onto something here.”

“You’re going into the blacksmithing business?”

“Why not? It’s just a matter of getting few tings hammered out.”

**********************

Sunday Kimberly stopped by our flat with Maris and Dana.

“Time for your bachelorette party,” Maris announced.

“I’m Lily,” I said. “Have we met?”

Dana laughed. “This is happening. Just give in.”

I sighed. “I see one sign of a stripper I am gone and I will never speak to any of you again.”

“Trust me,” Kimberly said. “Even if you don’t trust my sweet daisy.”

Maris rolled her eyes and grabbed my arm.

Stripppers looked less and less likely as the city gave way behind us and I discovered how much open space there was on Long Island. We pulled into a large farm with a green sign: “Liberty Stables.”

We stepped into the barn and I closed my eyes and breathed: hay and manure and leather.

“This may be the strangest venue for a bachelorette party, but I think we got it right,” remarked Dana.

“Yes,” I sighed. “You did. Thank you.”

Kimberly declined, but Maris and Dana donned helmets and mounted up. I was happy to see they had English saddles available; I can ride Western but it’s not my preference. We spent a glorious hour in the paddock. The instructor stayed with Dana, and I helped Maris gain confidence on her grey quarter-horse. I chose the black Morgan and I fell in love with Lacey within five minutes. When our time was up I stroked her nose and promised I would come back and ride her again.

They bought me a t-shirt from the farm’s gift shop and treated me to lunch afterward.

“Admit it - we did good,” Maris chortled. “I think I have you figured out now, Lilith.”

When I got home I discovered Murdoc and Russ had taken 2D to a strip club and he was passed out on the bathroom floor.

******************

Mr. Beneventi asked if I wanted the Saturday before the wedding off, but I declined. “I’m shorting you the next two. Taking you away from the site next Saturday, as well.”

He beamed at me. “That’s a nice guy you got there. He’s smart to grab a woman like you.”

“I have him covered if the roof springs a leak, that much you know.”

******************

Friday afternoon Urdek arrived in the Mustang to pick up Pendragon, Montmorency, and Marmaduke.

I greeted Urdek. “What are you up to this lovely day?”

“Well, I’m taking the boys to this- thing they do sometimes.”

It was Marmaduke who answered, as he climbed into the backseat of his father’s car. “We’re going to see our friends. Pendragon started it, but all three of us go now.”

“You can come with us, Miss Lily,” Montmorency invited, opening the door on the other side. Pendaragon said nothing as he scooted in next to his friend. They all buckled their seatbelts.

“Do you mind?” I asked Urdek.

“Not at all, not at all. I usually wait outside while the boys have their visit.”

Intrigued, I got into the passenger side. I gave 2D a quick call to let him know I was on an adventure.

Twenty minutes later we pulled up in front of a neat brick building. The sign on the front read “Birchwood Elder Care.” Urdek parked in the back and the implings hopped out. Marmaduke took my hand as Pendragon led us inside.

They were greeted immediately by a kind-looking woman in a dark blue sweater. She was standing next to a registration desk. “There’s our friends! And you brought a friend of your own?”

“This is Miss Lily,” Montmorency introduced me. “She works at our daycare. So she knows all about everything. You know.”

She smiled. “I do indeed.” She asked me to sign my name in the visitors log, and then the implings led me down a hallway to a large sunny room.

Several elderly people dotted the room, some at tables, some on sofas, some on the seats of their walkers.

“There’s my Marmaduke!” one white-haired woman cried, and he trotted over to sit on her lap. She nuzzled his head.

A gentleman gestured toward me with a wary expression. “Who is this?” he asked Pendragon, who was closest.

“This is Miss Lily. She’s okay with all of you, of course - or she wouldn’t love us so much.” He hopped up on a chair at the table. “Is it checkers today, Papa Al?”

Montmorency took my hand in his claw. “I’ll introduce you.” We walked the room together. “This is Mama Bea. And this is Papa Mel. And this pretty woman is Mama Janie.” He continued until I had shaken hands with every one of them.

Papa Benjamin said, “Why don’t you sit with us, dear?” and pointed to an armchair. I sat and Montmorency climbed on Papa Benjamin’s lap. “Now, you’re a celestial, dear? Did you come down here to teach these fellows?”

Montmorency giggled. “No, Papa Benjamin. Miss Lily is a human.” He pointed to Mama Bea. “She’s a celestial, and so is Papa James, and Mama Julia.”

“But old Al over there - he’s as low as you can go,” chuckled Papa Benjamin.

“I heard that, you rascal,” called Papa Al.

“And you?” I asked.

He shook his grey head. “No, not me. But this beautiful creature next to me is my wife, El. She’s the loveliest demon to ever ascend to the Earthly Realm - and she did it for me.”

Mama El sat hunched over a bit, and her oxygen tank hissed and clicked.

“She doesn’t see too well any more, or talk. She sang like a dove. She liked to sing with me - told me my voice was why she fell in love with me and took on a mortal body - it was just luck that I was handsome, too.” He laughed. Mama El raised her head at the sound. “It looks like she’ll be leaving the Earthly Plane before I do. I’ll stay here and wait until I go, and trust she’ll find me again. I know she will.”

“They wait for one another here,” explained Pendragon, looking up from his game of checkers with Papa Al. “They’re safe among friends who understand.”

I understood too.

“Monty, Monty,” called a man from across the room. “Tiempo para tu lección.”

“That’s Papa Pedro. He’s married to Mama Julia. He teaches me Spanish.” He trotted over to the old gentleman and pulled up a chair.

I stood and walked over to sit with Papa Mel and Mama Janie.

“And you teach these little imps?” Mama Janie asked. “Aren’t you the lucky one! How did you come to know all of them?”

“Marmaduke was the first one I met. He came with his father Urdek when my friend Kimberly summoned him for some assistance.”

“Kimberly?” Papa Mel leaned forward. “Not Kimberly Sybelle Gaetane Aretha Wilson?”

“Yes. She’s very close to my fiance, and she’s the partner of one of his bandmates.”

“You are cursed, young lady. Very cursed indeed.” He took my hand and squeezed it, then looked at my ring. “You’re getting married, you say?”

“Yes, in a week.”

Mama Janie leaned her head against her husband’s shoulder. “Well, I’m happy for you my dear. I hope your love lasts as long as ours will.”

“Did you like visiting our friends?” Marmaduke asked as we left.

“They’re wonderful. How did you meet all of them?”

Urdek pulled out of the parking lot as Pendragon explained, “My father. He thinks it’s very important for the well-rounded impling to do volunteer work, so he found this place for me. And when I told Marmaduke and Montmorency, they wanted to come too.”

“You can come again, if you want,” Marmaduke said. “I think they really liked you.”

Urdek dropped me at the school so I could grab my car, and I drove back to our flat. I sat waiting for 2D to come home.

The wedding was merely a social event; something Mrs. Pot would be happy to tell her friends about and Kimberly was happy to host. None of it really mattered, as I had always known.

The only thing that mattered was Stuart and I agreeing that forever seemed like the right amount of time to be together, and more if there was more available, please. Time for him to tell me he loved me infinitely. 

I didn’t have to wonder what it meant. Even someone immortal would wait to spend eternity with their partner, willing to remain in a decaying earthly body for the sake of staying by the side of the one they love. Death could never separate them.

**********************

Friday Mr. and Mrs. Pot and Colm arrived for the wedding. We ordered pizza and chicken wings and enjoyed catching up. The groom is not allowed to see the bride the day of the wedding, so after we ate I kissed my sweetheart goodnight and went to Maris and Dana’s. We spent the evening snacking and playing board games. We drove to Kimberly’s in the morning to see what she had in store for me.

Her ballroom contained a dozen or so tables with white cloths and chairs. Additional tables had been placed in the sitting room, living room, and patio. There were no chairs in the yard, which is a bit of a slant down to the water’s edge. Our guests would stand; the ceremony was to be very short. Urdek was bustling to and fro, with a clipboard in one claw and his phone in the other.

Kimberly gave me her room to get dressed. She had forgone the stylist, offering to do something pretty for me. “Every time I look at you I think of a Norse woman,” she said. “Let’s see if I can create another goddess on the Earthly Plane.” Working from my part she took small sections and made several tiny, evenly spaced braids, which lay over the rest of my hair. She had wound pale blue ribbons into them. “There’s your something blue,” she said.

I stood and looked in the mirror. “It’s perfect. Thank you.”

We were joined by my little wedding party, who admired Kimberly’s work.

“Oh!” exclaimed Mrs. Pot. “I nearly forgot.” She sifted through her handbag and withdrew a sixpence. She looked down at my sandals. “It’s supposed to go in your shoe.”

I took it from her and tucked it into my bra. “Now I have bus fare.”

Colm gave me something old. “Goes in the other side, I guess.” It was a folded piece of paper. I opened it carefully. “Im Colm. Whats your name?” was scribbled across the top. Underneath in my own handwriting, simply “I’m Lily.”

“Both our lives changed that day,” Colm said, and hugged me tightly. I blinked back tears.

“Something to borrow,” said Noodle. She handed me a USB drive. “I made a mix of vacation music for your trip. You can actually keep it, but it was all I could think of.”

“Since you have no more room in your bra, here’s your something new,” said Maris, standing at attention. “I have new respect for you. You gave me a new friend to hang out with. And I learned something new about you today - but I’m not telling you yet.”

“I’m curious, but I suppose I’ll have to wait until we get back from our honeymoon.”

Fifteen minutes to go. Kimberly gave me a last hug and kiss and my friends headed down.

Seconds later I heard a tap on the bedroom door.

"Lily? It's me. Don’t open it. I guess my eyeballs will fall out or something if I see you."

“Are you nervous?”

“About my eyeballs falling out?”

“Just about the wedding.”

“No. Got no reason to be. Never been so sure of anything in my life. I love you, Lily.”

“I love you, Stuart.” I leaned my head against the door, knowing he was doing the same on the other side.

“I’ll see you in a few minutes,” he whispered.

I heard him trip on the stairs. I waited another ten minutes, then walked downstairs and out the sliding glass door to the patio, and down to the riverside. I carried only a day-lily in my hand.

Russ and Murdoc stood by 2D’s side. He never formally asked either one of them; they just knew that’s where they needed to be. Colm waited just opposite.

We were surrounded by our friends - human and demon, and our wee implings.

The coven High Priest looked hot and uncomfortable in his black robes. It was a bit warm for late June, and I really felt for him.

But then my husband-to-be spoke and everything left my mind.

“Did you know lilies grow wherever they please? They just dig right in. And they’re so strong. They bend with the wind and spring back without breaking. They turn their faces to the sun and dance in the rain. My beautiful Lily. All I want is to grow next to you forever.” 

“Every single thing about you took me by surprise. I still never know what each new day will bring. You see things I never noticed. You imagine things I never could dream. You find beauty in the most unlikely places. 2D. Stuart. All I want is to be enchanted by your visions forever.”

The High Priest said, “In every Realm, on every Plane, be it known that you are joined together for Eternity.”

I received my first kiss as his wife.

Gradually I remembered there were other people there.

The rest of the day was a whirlwind of music, food, beer, and laughter. My British family and my New York family and my demon family all got to know one another. Every few minutes my husband would dash over to kiss me and tell me he loved me. Argentia followed Murdoc around. Druvoxin carried Maurice on her hip. Noodle and Neil, Shae and Will, and Bol-gammon and Tra’gouroth played cards at the picnic table. Mr. Beneventi and Mr. Pot relaxed on the patio with a bowl of candy between them. Maris and Dana took guests out on the sailboat in turns. Devon, Marmaduke, Montmorency, and Pendragon played badminton. Kimberly wafted here and there in her bright yellow dress, refilling drinks and telling stories.

2D took my hand and we walked down to the dock. He pulled me close, stroking my hair.

“I could grab the whole sky and wrap it around us like a blanket,” he said. “Still not big enough to hold all this love.”

I wanted the moment to last forever, as I’ve wanted every moment with him to last forever. The best I could do was take in everything around me and hold it: the warmth of his arms, the sound of the seagulls and ringing buoys, the smell of smoke.

The smell of smoke.

With one more kiss we let go of one another and went off to find out which impling had set something on fire.


End file.
